Tag Archives: Philippians 3:3

The Verse in Focus (Philippians 3:3)

ἡμεῖς γάρ ἐσμεν ἡ περιτομή, οἱ Πνεύματι Θεοῦ λατρεύοντες καὶ καυχώμενοι ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ καὶ οὐκ ἐν σαρκὶ πεποιθότες

ἡμεῖς γάρ ἐσμεν ἡ περιτομή: Redefining Covenant Identity

The sentence opens emphatically with ἡμεῖς — “we,” clearly distinguishing Paul and his audience from those he criticizes in the previous verse (the so-called “mutilators of the flesh,” v.2). The verb ἐσμεν (present indicative of εἰμί, “to be”) follows, linking the subject to its surprising predicate: ἡ περιτομή — “the circumcision.”

This bold declaration reframes Jewish covenant identity in spiritual, not physical, terms. It’s not the external sign but the internal transformation that matters.… Learn Koine Greek